Qarth
Qarth, sometimes called the Queen of Cities, is a port city located on the southern coast of Essos, where the Summer Sea meets the Jade Sea. The power of the city has grown over the past century, with the Qartheen wishing to further assert their greatness compared to the the developing powers in the west, in particular the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, and the Volantenes' expansion of territory towards the Dothraki Sea and Valyria. The Qartheen now control Great Moraq and many of the surrounding isles, putting them in direct conflict with their neighbours, Yi Ti. As a result, Qartheen galleys now patrol both the Jade Gates to the north via the port-city of Qal, and the Cinnamon Straits between Great Moraq and Sothoryos, meaning all trade seeking the Far East is at risk of being stopped by the Pureborn. Notable Locations Defences of the City * The Three Walls and City Gates - The City of Qarth is surrounded by three thick stones walls, broken only by the gates to the east, northwest and northeast, called the Leviathan's Gate, Sphinx's Gate and Basilisk's Gate respectively, and the harbour and Jade Straits to the south. No attacker has ever breached more than two of the walls, something the Qartheen are deeply proud of. ** The Outer Walls - Also known as the Walls of Beasts, the Outer Walls are the shortest of three sets of walls, but still formidable nonetheless. From thirty feet above their foes, Qartheen archers and spear-throwers can rain down projectiles onto any seeking to sack the Queen of Cities. Along the length of the red sandstone walls great beasts both real and fantastical are carved, and the main gates of the city take their names from the beasts nearby. The creatures are said to remind all those that visit that Qarth is greater than even the mightiest of beasts, for they serve only as part of the splendour of the city. Its gates are studded with copper eyes. ** The Middle Walls - Called the Walls of War, the Middle Walls are around forty feet in height, and topped with blocks of marble and quartzstone. The grey granite is snaked through with veins of crimson and ochre, something that the wisemen of the city state is due to impurities in the stone, but the more common residents say grows in intensity whenever an enemy is shattered trying to siege the walls. The stone itself is marked with pictures depicting the battles the Qartheen have fought, and the notches at their base serve as a tally for every warrior, sellsword or barbarian that has been killed trying to sack the city. Its gates are studded with silver eyes. ** The Inner Walls - The highest of the three walls, reaching nearly fifty feet in height, the inner walls are often called the Walls of Love by the residents. The carvings of the black marble are deeply explicit in nature, but considered as inherent to the history and culture of the city as the depictions of war and battle, siege and conquest. Its gates are studded with golden eyes. ** The Court of the Manticores - A construction of an odd green stone that seems to catch the light with an unsettling sheen, the Court of the Manticores is a prominent and well-known site within the city. Home to the Manticores, the elite guards of the city, it serves both as their barracks and training yards. ***The Manticores - Always seen walking in groups of three, so that each patrol may have six legs, like the creature from which they take their name. Clad in armour forged into the appearance of scales, they are capable of moving swiftly and viciously, and are said to carry poisoned blades. They number in the several thousands, so guardsmen in shimmering green scale are a common sight throughout the city. Other guards ride camels, wearing snouted-helms with copper tusks and long, black silk plumes. Plazas and Squares, Palaces and Temples * Griffin's Plaza - Centred around a plinth topped with a stone griffin in-wing, the Griffin's Plaza is a lively and populous region of city. Constructed to the northern end is the Feathered Stage, where performers put on shows ranging from recreations of battles both historical and fantastical, tales of tragedy, joy and bawdiness alike, as well as dancing animals and dwarves. * Dragon's Square - At first glance, Dragon's Square seems to be built around a large statue of a dark-scaled dragon, stretching near fifty feet long. On closer inspection however, the statue is in truth the ancient skeleton of a fallen beast, taunt fabric pinned between the bones so that it seems to ripple in the gentle, pleasant breezes that sweeps in from the Jade Sea. The Dragon's Square, like many of the Plazas of the city, is filled with merchants and mummers alike, as well as vendors selling food and drinks flavoured with exotic spices. * Wyvern's Fountain - Although incredibly challenging to count, it is said that the Wyvern's Fountain is made of nearly two thousand separate streams of water that flow, coalesce and collide with each other across the construction of pale-white stone stretching nearly a quarter a mile. It is not unheard of for visitors to throw a coin into the swirling waters for luck, but every night the fountain is picked clean by the children that scour the waters. * The Paper Palace - At least three times the size of the great library of the Citadel of Oldtown, the Paper Palace is the single greatest collection of written information in the Known World. It is said that within the halls information detailing the entire history of Essos, Westeros, Sothoryos and beyond, from the Dawn Age to the Century of Blood to times and events much more recent. Whilst the Qartheen care little for the comings and goings of the world around them, many amongst them, the merchants especially, understand that comprehension of the state of the Known World is vital for optimised trade routes. * The Great Arcade - Also known as the Hundred Arches, the Great Arcade is an area of Qarth renowned for its architecture. Predominately created from yellow and red stone bricks, the Great Arcade runs along Tallavaan's Road, which links Wyvern's Fountain to Griffin's Plaza. Between the arches merchants and vendors set up their stalls, hoping to sell objects of metal and fabric alike to passersby. * Temple of Memory - The first of the three steps needed to gain an audience at the Hall of a Thousand Thrones is performing a sacrifice at the Temple of Memory, a construction of white-grey stone and glass. Channels are built into the stairs climbing to the temple, from which streams of blood flow at all times. It is customary for the Priest of the Temple to perform the first and last sacrifices of the day, which in truth come in quick succession of each other, marking the passage of one day into another. * Garden of Gehane - It is common for the magisters of the Free Cities to keep lavish gardens filled with flowers, trees and shrubs within the walls of their manses. They seem a pittance in comparison to the Garden of Gehane. The tales say that every form of floral life can be found within the Gardens, should one be willing to spend the time to find their quarry. Moonbloom and evening stars, frostfires and coldsnaps from Beyond-the-Wall, spiceflower and tansy. Great trees of oak, mahogany, cinnamon and almond take root, and nothing fails to grow, for if the stories are to be believed, the soil of the Garden of Gehane is the most fertile in the Known World, and produces yields unparalleled by even the Reach in Westeros. * The Silverlight Pool - Located at one end of the Wyvern's Fountain, the Silverlight Pool is deep and wide enough that a Swan Ship from the Summer Isles may sail within it without fear of running aground. It is common to see the moderately wealthy of the city aboard barges on the Silverlight Pool, but the practice is shunned by the elite of the city. * West Huiji - Found in the northern aspect of the city, West Huiji is the name given to part of the city primarily inhabited by residents of Yi-Tish descent. The influence of the culture is notable to any visitor, with dramatic changes in architecture and decoration within the district compared to its neighbours. Lanterns shaped from parchment hang from crimson archways that span the paths, giving the district a warm glow when night falls. The area has been subject to repeated attempts at vandalism in recent years following border tensions with Yi Ti to the east, and the islands to the south. * Xaggo's Boulevard - Running parallel to Tallavaan's Road, Xaggo's Boulevard also joins Wyvern's Fountain to Griffin's Plaza, but also continued, stretching to the harbour. Although the harbour is split into four distinct regions, the entire stretch of promenade that unites the four is considered Xaggo's Boulevard nonetheless. The finest winehouses and brothels can be found along the road, although both offer selections much more exotic than the Merchant's House and Crimson Silks of Volantis. The Powerful and Influential * Hall of a Thousand Thrones - The seat of the governing body of Qarth, the Pureborn, the Hall of a Thousand Thrones is an extravagant building of marble decorated with both gold and silver. Within he Pureborn are enthroned on great wooden chairs of their ancestors, which rise in curved tiers from a marble floor to a high domed ceiling painted with scenes of Qarth's vanquished glory. The unique chairs are immense, fantastically carved, bright with gold work, and studded with amber, onyx, lapis, and jade, as well as innumerable other semi-precious stones and gems. * House of the Undying - The House of the Undying is a grey and ancient ruin. It is long and low, without towers or windows and is coiled like a stone serpent through a grove of black-barked trees with inky blue leaves which are used to make the drink that the Qartheen call "shade of the evening". No other buildings stand near. Black tiles cover the palace roof, many of them fallen or broken and the mortar between the stones is dry and crumbling. The entrance is a door that is a tall oval mouth set in a wall fashioned in the likeness of a human face. Any who seeks audience with the Undying Ones must follow the rules. Before entering, a person seeking audience with the Undying must drink shade of the evening, so that they may hear and see the truths that will be laid before them. It does not turn lips blue with just one dose; many must be taken. Any who enters must enter alone or not at all. The front way leads in, but not out again. When one enters, there will be four doors; the door one just came through and three others. To reach the Undying, one must always take the first door on the right and always takes stairs up. The rooms of the House of the Undying are sometimes open to sight, and are filled with strange visions of many sorts; days that were, days that will be, days that never shall be, and visions of surpassing beauty or horror. One must not enter any room until reaching the audience chamber. To leave the audience chamber, a person must follow the "same" path as before; always the first door to the right and always up the stairs. The chamber of the Undying is gloomy. A long stone table fills the room, above which floats a heart swollen and blue with corruption, but beats with a deep throbbing sound, each pulse sending out indigo light. * Warlock's Way - The houses found along the street known as Warlock's Way have no windows, and is shunned by most residents of the city. The few that do walk the Warlock's Way more often than not do so with the express intention of seeking out the dwellers of the House of the Undying, although it is noted that not all that journey down towards the Palace of Dust return. It is not uncommon to see Phantom Tortoises, great lumbering beasts of pale purple-blue scales travelling between the houses, carrying messages. * The Palaces of the Thirteen - The Thirteen are amongst those which wish to claim the title of the ruling party of Qarth, and have done so for centuries, finding themselves in direct competition with the Pureborn, the current government party, as well as the Tourmaline Brotherhood and the Spicers. The Palaces of the Thirteen are extravagant and lavish, each larger than a typical Westerosi keep, and surrounded by gardens, pools filled wiwth tiny golden fish and plazas filled with statues, fountains and mazes. It is customary for each entrance of the Palaces to be marked with an archway of bronze, chased with semi-precious and precious gemstones. * The Headquarters of the Tourmaline Brotherhood - Direct rivals to the Pureborn, the Thirteen and the Spicers, the Tourmaline Brotherhood own several hundred ships, the largest single number in the entire city. Their headquarters, a monolithic construction that peaks in an uneven jagged roof is found on the opposite side of the city of the Guild of the Spicers, relatively near to the Gardens of Gehane and West Huiji. * The Guild of the Spicers - Amongst the wealthiest residents of the city, the Spicer families convene daily at the Guild of the Spicers not just to trade, but also plan for the city. Expansions, constructions and depositions alike have been planned within the smooth stone walls of the tower and keep, and take place behind locked doors until the time comes for their execution. Centres of Trade * Nutul Circle - Known primarily as the location of the Bazaar, Nutul Circle is a district of Qarth found in the southwest of the city. Always busy regardless of the time of day or night, the streets of the district are filled with travellers, merchants and slaves alike. The Pureborn shun the district for this very reason, declaring it too raucously loud and astir for ones of their status and heritage. ** The Bazaar - There are many Bazaars in Essos that claim to be the largest, most diverse and capable of serving the greatest number of needs, but it is the voices of the Qartheen that proclaim the loudest. Housed within a hall comparable only in size to the Temple of the Lord of Light in Volantis at the heart of Nutul Circle, the Bazaar is home to sellers of all works of metal, fabric and wood, of beasts living and deceased, of poisons and weapons, of ships, soldiers and islands, as well as innumerable other objects and properties. Each of the entrances to the Bazaar is marked with a notice forged from precious metal, stating in the languages of the Known World that if it created by gods or men, it may be found within. * The Port - Winesinks, warehouses, and gaming dens line the streets, cheek by jowl with cheap brothels and the temples of peculiar gods.Cutpurses, cutthroats, spellsellers, and moneychangers mingle with every crowd.The waterfront is one great marketplace where buying and selling goes on all day and all night, and goods might be had for a fraction of what they cost at the bazaar - if a man does not ask where they came from.Wizened old women bent like hunchbacks sell flavored waters and goat’s milk from glazed ceramic jugs strapped to their shoulders. Seamen from half a hundred nations wander amongst the stalls, drinking spiced liquors and trading jokes in queer-sounding tongues. The air smells of salt and frying fish, of hot tar and honey, of incense and oil. Elsewhere beautiful bronze daggers are for sale, dried squids and carved onyx, a potent magical elixir made of virgin’s milk and shade of the evening and even dragon's eggs, although Qartheen officials have been yet to find one that was not merely a painted rock. The Port stretches for several miles, and is split into four harbours. ** The Hyacinth Harbour - The westernmost harbour, where the stone takes a faded blue hue. ** The Amaryllis Harbour - East of the Hyacinth harbour, the construction is of pale-red stonebricks. ** The Roseate Harbour - The colour of its stone somewhat challenging to distinguish from the neighbouring Amaryllis Harbour, the Roseate Harbour is made of pink stone. ** The Lobelia Harbour - Made of same material as the Hyacinth Harbour, but chased through with dashes of yellow, the stone of the Lobelia Harbour, found on the eastern side of the Port is blue-purple. People and Customs The Qartheen people are considered slim, and often taller than most other races of the Known World, and their pale skin has garnered the name Milk Men from the Dothraki. They ride camels and elephants through the city, and bathe in perfumes made from the thousand types of flowers that grown within their walls. Recent History Whilst the Pureborn remain in control of the city for now, their future strength remains an uncertainty. There is talk that the Tourmaline Brotherhood and the Spicers may have agreed upon an alliance in order to overthrow the party that has for centuries held dominion over the city and its assets. If this will have any effect on the trade out of the city, vital to the wealth of many families and houses across Essos, is yet to be seen. The Qartheen have long been at war with the peoples of Yi Ti, the Golden Empire whose territories borders Qarth's own to the east. With the expansion of Qartheen influence south into the Cinnamon Straits, and the islands of Great and Lesser Moraq and Marahai, the tensions between the two powers of the Far East have culminated in a number of border skirmishes, although neither has invested more than a few thousand lives at a time to the conflicts. While no clash has occurred in nearly a quarter of a century, the new Azure God-Emperor Bu Shi looks to be seeking to put down the Qartheen threat once and for all. Category:Qarth Category:Essos Category:City Category:Jade Sea